In the aftermath of World War I a relevant part of Austrian Tyrol was occupied by Italy, and subsequently annexed. The areas around Trent formed Italian-speaking Trentino[?]. In the north the valleys around Bolzano/Bozen were inhabited by ethnic Germans and Ladins (Today the third official language of South Tyrol, alongside German and Italian).

After the rise of Fascism in 1922 a policy of de-Germanization[?] was carried on ruthlessly. All places, up to the tiniest hamlet, were given Italian names, and even some family names were translated.